Blinken announces USD 350 million in new US military aid to Ukraine

Sunday February 27, 2022

Troops on the border with its pro-Western neighbor The United States is providing Ukraine with $350 million in

Blinken announces USD 350 million in new US military aid to Ukraine

Troops on the border with its pro-Western neighbor The United States is providing Ukraine with $350 million in additional military equipment to fight off Russia's "brutal and unprovoked assault," Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced.

"This package will include further lethal defensive assistance to help Ukraine address the armored, airborne, and other threats it is now facing," Blinken said.

Blinken said that last fall as Russia started amassing, President Joe Biden authorized $60 million in immediate military assistance to Ukraine, then another $200 million in December as President Vladimir Putin's threat became more acute.

Now the US is authorizing a third package "as Ukraine fights with courage and pride against Russia’s brutal and unprovoked assault," Blinken said.

This means total US security assistance committed to Ukraine over the past year now exceeds a billion dollars, the secretary said.

Blinken did not detail what kind of weaponry was involved.

The new assistance follows a series of US and other western sanctions against Russian banks and oligarchs in an effort to punish Putin and his inner circle for the invasion of Ukraine and cripple the Russian economy.

Russia vetoes UN resolution to halt attack on Ukraine

Sunday February 27, 2022

UN Security Council resolution demanding that Moscow stop

Russia vetoes UN resolution to halt attack on Ukraine

UN Security Council resolution demanding that Moscow stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw all troops.

The vote was 11-1, with China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstaining. It showed significant but not total opposition to Russia's invasion of its smaller, militarily weaker neighbour.

The United States and other supporters knew the resolution wouldn't pass but argued it would highlight Russia's international isolation. The resolution's failure paves the way for backers to call for a swift vote on a similar measure in the UN General Assembly.

There are no vetoes in the 193-member assembly. There's no timetable as yet for a potential Assembly vote.

Aspire to double spices exports to USD 10 billion in five years: Union Minister Piyush Goyal

Sunday February 27, 2022

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has appealed to the spices industry to focus on

Aspire to double spices exports to USD 10 billion in five years: Union Minister Piyush Goyal

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has appealed to the spices industry to focus on the quality of products and aspire to double exports to USD 10 billion in the next five years.

In the last fiscal, the country exported spices and spices products worth about USD 5 billion. He also called for focus on packaging and branding of Indian spices as it would help in further pushing the exports.

The minister said that instead of targeting USD 10 billion of exports by 2030, "let us aspire to double our exports to USD 10 billion in the next five years by 2027 and then further double our exports" by 2032, he said while interacting with farmers and exporters at an event organised for marking the foundation day of the Spices Board.

So far 26 Indian spices have received GI (Geographical Indication) tag like Coorg's green cardamom, Mizo ginger, and Kanniyakumari cloves.

Ukraine crisis: Poland calls for boycotting World Cup qualifier against Russia

Sunday February 27, 2022

Poland is refusing to play its World Cup qualifier against Russia

Ukraine crisis: Poland calls for boycotting World Cup qualifier against Russia

Poland is refusing to play its World Cup qualifier against Russia next month in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Polish soccer federation president Cezary Kulesza said. Kulesza made the announcement on Twitter and indicated Poland was in talks with other federations to present a unified position to FIFA.

EAM Jaishankar receives phone call from Ukrainian foreign minister

Saturday February 26, 2022

Ahead of the crucial vote at the UN Security Council on the Russian attack on Ukraine, the country's Foreign Minister

EAM Jaishankar receives phone call from Ukrainian foreign minister

Ahead of the crucial vote at the UN Security Council on the Russian attack on Ukraine, the country's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on feb 25 spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and shared his assessment of the current situation in Ukraine.

Jaishankar said he emphasised that India supports diplomacy and dialogue as the "way out".

The UN Security Council is scheduled to vote on feb 25 evening on a draft resolution on Russia's military operation in Ukraine as well as the escalating situation in the eastern European country.

The draft resolution is set to condemn in the strongest terms Russia's military operation in Ukraine that has triggered strong outrage by the Western powers.

When asked about India's position on the draft UN Security resolution on the Ukraine crisis, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India has seen it and that New Delhi's stand will depend on the final shape of its text.

In the midst of the escalating situation in Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with President Vladimir Putin on feb 24 during which he appealed for ending violence, and called for concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic dialogue.

Jaishankar too held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and underlined that dialogue and diplomacy are the best way forward to deal with the crisis.

Over Rs 1000 crore worth of cash, drugs, liquor, freebies seized during assembly polls in 5 states

Saturday February 26, 2022

With the Election Commission stepping up vigil, more than Rs 1,000 crore worth of cash, drugs, liquor and freebies have

Over Rs 1000 crore worth of cash, drugs, liquor, freebies seized during assembly polls in 5 states

With the Election Commission stepping up vigil, more than Rs 1,000 crore worth of cash, drugs, liquor and freebies have been seized so far in the ongoing assembly polls in five states, a nearly four-fold increase in such seizures over the previous round of elections in 2017.

According to an Election Commission statement, Punjab topped the chart with total seizures amounting to Rs 510.91 crore, followed by Uttar Pradesh (Rs 307.92 crore), Manipur (Rs 167.83 crore), Uttarakhand (Rs 18.81 crore) and Goa (Rs 12.73 crore).

The total seizures in the five states were over Rs 1,018 crore, a nearly four-fold increase over the total seizures of Rs 299.84 crore made during the 2017 assembly elections in these states.

In the five states, the total cash seizures amounted to Rs 140.29 crore, while more than 82 lakh litres of liquor valued at Rs 99.84 crore was also confiscated.

Drugs worth Rs 569.52 crore, precious metals worth Rs 115.054 crore and freebies worth Rs 93.5 crore were also seized.

The seven-phase assembly elections began on February 10 and will conclude on March 7. Votes will be counted on March 10.

Odisha's former Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal dies at age 82

Saturday February 26, 2022

Former Odisha Chief Minister and prominent tribal Congress leader Hemananda Biswal died while undergoing

Odisha's former Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal dies at age 82

Former Odisha Chief Minister and prominent tribal Congress leader Hemananda Biswal died while undergoing treatment for pneumonia at the age of 82 years.

Biswal also represented Sundergarh Constituency in the Lok Sabha, and was a six-time MLA from Jharsuguda district, besides being the state's chief minister twice. He was elected chief minister for the first time for the period December 7,1989 to March 5, 1990 and again from December 6,1999 to March 5, 2000.

He was the first tribal chief minister of Odisha. He was elected to the Assembly for the first time in 1974 and continued till 1977. Later he become an MLA in 1980 and held the post till 2004 from Laikera Assembly segment.

Biswal started his career from panchayat politics after a brief stint as a school teacher in Jharsugudda district.

Heads of European missions in India stand in solidarity with Ukrainian envoy

Saturday February 26, 2022

The heads of missions of European countries in India expressed solidarity with their Ukrainian counterpart on

Heads of European missions in India stand in solidarity with Ukrainian envoy

The heads of missions of European countries in India expressed solidarity with their Ukrainian counterpart on Feb 25 , strongly condemning Russia's "unprovoked and unjustified" military attack on Ukraine. The envoys held a meeting here and extended their full support to Ukraine.

Ambassador of the European Union to India and Bhutan Ugo Astuto said the EU and its member states stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian Ambassador to India, Igor Polikha.

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Blinken announces USD 350 million in new US military aid to Ukraine

Blinken announces USD 350 million in new US military aid to Ukraine

Russia vetoes UN resolution to halt attack on Ukraine

Russia vetoes UN resolution to halt attack on Ukraine

Aspire to double spices exports to USD 10 billion in five years: Union Minister Piyush Goyal

Aspire to double spices exports to USD 10 billion in five years: Union Minister Piyush Goyal

Ukraine crisis: Poland calls for boycotting World Cup qualifier against Russia

Ukraine crisis: Poland calls for boycotting World Cup qualifier against Russia

EAM Jaishankar receives phone call from Ukrainian foreign minister

EAM Jaishankar receives phone call from Ukrainian foreign minister

Over Rs 1000 crore worth of cash, drugs, liquor, freebies seized during assembly polls in 5 states

Over Rs 1000 crore worth of cash, drugs, liquor, freebies seized during assembly polls in 5 states

Odisha's former Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal dies at age 82

Odisha's former Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal dies at age 82

Heads of European missions in India stand in solidarity with Ukrainian envoy

Heads of European missions in India stand in solidarity with Ukrainian envoy

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